Spray dispenser

Abstract

A spray dispenser includes a housing for placement in a space. The housing is adapted to receive at least one container having a material therein for emission into the space in response to at least one of a timer, manual actuation and sensory input. The spray dispenser further includes at least three sensors distributed around a perimeter of the housing for the detection of sensory input.

We claim: 
     
       1. A spray dispenser, comprising:
 a housing for placement in a space, wherein the housing is adapted to receive at least one removable container having a material therein for emission into the space in response to at least one of a timer, manual actuation, and sensory input; and 
 at least three sensors distributed around a perimeter of the housing for the detection of sensory input, 
 wherein the at least three sensors are disposed equidistantly about a perimeter of the housing on the same plane. 
 
     
     
       2. The spray dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are distributed around the perimeter such that if the housing is placed near an obstruction that blocks two of the at least three sensors, at least one of the remaining sensors is capable of detecting sensory input. 
     
     
       3. The spray dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the space is a room having at least one corner of a wall that defines a right angle obstruction, and wherein at least one of the sensors is capable of dispensing sensory input if the housing is disposed adjacent the corner. 
     
     
       4. The spray dispenser of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one sensor that is capable of dispensing sensory input has a partially obstructed sensory field of view. 
     
     
       5. The spray dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein four sensors are disposed equidistantly about a perimeter of the housing on the same plane. 
     
     
       6. The spray dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the space is a room having at least one corner of a wall that defines a right angle obstruction, and wherein the housing includes at least five sensors, of which at least one of the at least five sensors has an unobstructed sensory field of view if the housing is disposed adjacent the corner. 
     
     
       7. The spray dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the space includes an obstruction defined by a right angle, and wherein a user does not have to orient the housing to provide at least one of the sensors with the ability to detect sensory input. 
     
     
       8. The spray dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the at least three sensors include one or more of a light sensing element, such as a photodetector, photodiode light detector, photoresistor, photodiode, or phototransistor, a passive infrared sensor, a motion sensor, an acoustic sensor, a humidity sensor, and a chemical sensor. 
     
     
       9. A spray dispenser, comprising:
 a housing adapted to receive at least one removable container therein; and 
 a plurality of sensors provided about a perimeter of the housing, wherein each sensor has a field of view in which the sensor may detect sensory input, 
 wherein a total viewing field of 360 degrees is provided about the housing, and 
 wherein the sum of the sensors field of view about the total viewing field is at least between 20%-100% thereof. 
 
     
     
       10. The spray dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of sensors are equidistantly spaced about the perimeter of the housing. 
     
     
       11. The spray dispenser of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of sensors are radially spaced from a longitudinal axis of the housing on the same plane. 
     
     
       12. The spray dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of sensors are light sensing elements. 
     
     
       13. The spray dispenser of  claim 12 , wherein each sensor has a field of view of about 20 degrees. 
     
     
       14. A dispenser system, comprising:
 a housing adapted to receive at least one removable container therein; and 
 a plurality of sensors provided about a perimeter of the housing and pointing in different directions, wherein each of the sensors has a field of view to detect sensory input, 
 wherein at least one sensory gap exists between at least two of the plurality of sensors in which sensory input is not detected. 
 
     
     
       15. The dispensing system of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes a number N of sensors positioned about the perimeter of the housing, wherein if an additional sensor were provided about the perimeter of the housing the reduction in the sum total of the sensory gaps would be reduced by less than 25%. 
     
     
       16. The dispensing system of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes a number N +1 of sensors positioned about the perimeter of the housing, wherein if an additional sensor were provided about the perimeter of the housing the reduction in the sum total of the sensory gaps would be reduced by less than 20%. 
     
     
       17. The dispensing system of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of sensors are light sensing elements. 
     
     
       18. The dispensing system of  claim 17 , wherein each sensor has a field of view of about 20 degrees. 
     
     
       19. The spray dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the dispenser is configured such that an emission triggered by a sensor is in a direction different than a direction of sensing for the sensory input. 
     
     
       20. The spray dispenser of  claim 1 , wherein the dispenser is configured to remain stationary during an emission.